Police say 11 inmates killed in shootouts following breakout from prison in central Haiti

Associated Press

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Police in Haiti say inmates have broken out of a prison in the central coastal town of Saint-Marc as authorities in the country struggle to quell widespread gang violence. A police spokesman says 11 inmates were killed in shootouts with authorities after Friday’s breakout. The spokesman did not provide further details, including how many inmates escaped. The newspaper Le Nouvelliste says officers at the prison went on strike to demand better treatment, and it quoted government commissioner Vension François as saying he feared a “mutiny.” That suggested guards may have been complicit in Friday’s prison break. But the report did not elaborate. It wasn’t immediately clear how many inmates the prison held.